Before It's Too Late
by fanaddict
Summary: Strange things keep happenening to Tara, no one knows why and no one seems to be able to stop them, well there maybe someone
1. Tara's issues

Before It's Too Late

usual disclaimers go here

timeline- takes place after the episode where Darcy left Bobby

Chapter 1- Tara's Issues

Tara hopped into her car ready to start the day. Tara couldn't believe the feelings she had begun to develop for Bobby. But could she act on them? No, he said he didn't like her like that. She knew better. Plus she still had Stanley. But she always wondered what Bobby was going to ask her if Stanley hadn't shown up and took her out the other day. Well, it didn't really matter because Bobby was taking her out to lunch today. It was nothing close to romantic though, it was just because she had just made their lives a little easier when she cracked the codes to a list compromised of illegal drug sellers in the area.

But what if there was something between Bobby and her. What should she do? All she wanted was a sign. Something, anything.

As she waited her turn at the four way stop, she thought about Bobby again. As she stepped on the gas pedal she barely made it half way through the intersection before a car plowed into the driver's side and rendered her unconscious.

Special Agent Bobby Manning strolled into the office. They were one step closer to catching the local drug kings. And it's all thanks to the one special agent in their unit: Tara Williams. She was amazing. Everything about her was. Although he already made an idiot of himself and told her that there was nothing between them.

He looked over at her desk at realized that she wasn't there yet. He noticed Sue and Lucy were already there along with Myles and D. He had never arrived to work before Tara. He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and prayed that nothing was wrong. But then he noticed Jack on the phone and he didn't look to happy when he hung up.

"What happened Jack?"

"It's Tara." He merely stated, " She was in a car accident on her way to work and is currently at Washington General."

Sue and Lucy gasped at this new information.

Sue was the first one to speak, "Can we go see her?"

Bobby barely even heard her ask before he turned around and walked back out the same way he came in.

Jack tried to call out to him but he didn't care, he needed to see her.

Back in the office, Jack and Sue gave each other a questioning look.

"Should we follow him?" Sue asked.

Jack nodded and both head out the door. It wasn't an action took to merely follow their friend but both also wanted an excuse to visit Tara also.

D let them go and Myles went over to comfort Lucy.

"Did they say anything about her condition Jack?" Myles asked concerned

"She's unconscious, that's all they said."

And with that said, Jack and Sue walked out of the office grasping each other's hand.


	2. Tara's Injuries

Before It's Too Late

Bobby barged into the ER and walked straight up to the front desk. "Special Agent Tara Williams please, where is she?" he desperately needed to see her.

The RN working the main desk was startled by his abruptness but saw the agony and determined look in his eyes and showed him to her room. Even though this kind of thing wasn't allowed, she felt that this case was different somehow. He did flash his FBI badge at her. She did this out of sheer fear of the agent, fearing that he would snap if she didn't do his desires. "Yes, uh, she was just brought in. Follow me."

Bobby didn't really need to be so intimidating, but this was Tara. He felt an overprotective instinct envelope him that was strong that it went beyond the plutonic plain. He tried to shrug it off and think coherently before he arrived at Tara's room.

"Here you are Agent..." she didn't even know his name, she only knew he was an agent.

"Manning, Bobby Manning, and thank you, thank you so much," he shook her hand before quietly entering the room leaving the baffled nurse in the hallway.

Tara actually looked peaceful, lying unconscious in the bed before him. Bobby held his breath as he looked her over carefully. She wasn't awake yet. She had sustained bruises of varying sizes on her arms, and a gigantic bruise on the left side of her forehead along with a deep gash that was probably from the window breaking. A small wrist brace bandaged her left hand, indicating that she probably had a sprained or broken wrist.

"Bobby?"

Sue's entrance into the room startled him and he only turned his head to say, "Oh Sue, I didn't see you there," then went back to gazing at Tara.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything," she paused before going on, noticing that Bobby barely even took his eyes off Tara, " I talked to the doctor. He said the worst of her injuries was a broken wrist and thumb. She also sustained a broken rib and minor cuts and bruises. Jack went to find out about the other driver."

Bobby snarled at the thought, hoping that whoever caused this was in just as much pain as Tara was, "Did anyone see what happened?"

"Yes, there were two witnesses. It happened at a four way, it was Tara's turn to go and the other driver neglected to stop."

Bobby's clenched one of his fist. Why he was acting like this he truly didn't know. But the thought of someone being so careless made his blood boil, and now his Tara had to pay for his stupid mistake. Wait, _his Tara?_

At just that moment, Tara's eyes started to flutter open. Bobby and Sue were still talking and didn't seem to notice.

"Bobby are _you _okay?" Sue asked her Aussie friend, she didn't know what had happened between him and Tara, but she had never seen her friend so angry and hurt.

"I think so," then he noticed that Tara was starting to wake up and shifted his attention back to Tara, "Hey, look who's decided to join us." He tried to joke with a small grin playing across his face.

"Bo..bbby?" Tara managed to spit out. She still looked bewildered, "Sue, what happened?"

She stared down at her body and noticed that she was in a bed and in a place she was not familiar with, "Where am I and why am I here?" all of a sudden she was apprehended by a pounding head ache and went to massage her temple but gasped as she notice the cast around her wrist.

Bobby and been eyeing her carefully, "You were in a car accident."

Tara closed her eyes and tried to remember. She had a blurred memory of just leaving the four way, and then a car screeching toward her, then BOOM! It was complete blackness after that. "The other driver?" she asked warily.

At that point Jack joined them and he responded to her question, "No word. The witnesses say he bolted after the whole incident with nothing but a limp in his leg and was seen clutching his wrist."

"Why would he just leave like that?" Tara was worried. After it was his fault she was still worried about the other driver's well being.

"We're working on that." Jack responded matter of factly. "Now onto more important matters, how are you feeling?"

Tara sighed, "Okay I guess except for this grand headache that invaded me."

"Well, I can get you something for that Agent Williams," A doctor entered the room for a check up, "Dr. Macbride at your service," he gave the others a stern look, "Now I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave so I can do a proper check up."

The other three agents reluctantly left, Bobby lingering a minute longer to giver her one last look, which the doctor had caught, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her," The doctor shooed him out of the room and proceeded to do his job.

Once gave Tara a thorough check up, he gave her some pain medication and a list of things she needed to do to recuperate, "Now Ms. Williams, you should at least take a couple days of work to let that rib heal. Sleep is the best medicine I can give you."

"Dr. Macbride," Tara interjected him, "Will my wrist take long to heal? Seeing as how I spend most of my time at work typing, two hands are a necessity."

"It should heal in about three weeks, if taken care of properly." He noticed Tara didn't like this information too much, "I know it'll be tough, but you'll be back in shape in no time. You just get some rest while I pass the information along to your co-workers."

Tara didn't object to his orders and got up to go use the bathroom as he left her room before she went back to sleep.

Dr. Macbride approached the agents and told them about Tara.

Jack didn't like the idea of not having Tara around for the next couple of days, she was really needed in this case of wrapped around new technology. A flash of paranoia crossed his mind and he wondered if this accident wasn't really an accident at all.

"Would it be wise to have her stay with someone?" Bobby had finally asked, with a tiny glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"It's not necessary, but if you so desire, than so be it." He wondered what the relationship between his patient and the young man before him was, "Well, that's all I have for you. I'd like to keep Tara for a few more hours. She should be able to go home at the end of today. But I suggest you all should get back to work." He said his good-byes and went back to his busy schedule.

"Bobby, we need to get back to work, you can come back later and check on Tara at lunch time, I'm sure she won't mind." Jack wondered if his two teammates had something going on that they weren't coming clean about. Granted he was mad that this happened, but not as mad as Bobby was. Then again if this was Sue, he probably would be as mad as Bobby.

"As I recall, you and Tara were supposed have lunch today, weren't you?" Sue spoke up.

"Yeah," Bobby nodded, but his mind obviously still somewhere else. "Well the sooner i get the work done, the sooner I can come get Tara out of here, right?"

Sue and Jack shared knowing smiles as they head for the elevator. But before they stepped on, a pitch scream was coming from down the hall.


	3. Empty Threats Arise

Before it's too late chapter3

At the sound of the scream, Bobby and Jack became alert and there hands were drawn to their guns like magnets

Sue noticed the abrupt change of pace, "Guys, what's going on?"

"Someone screamed." Jack replied facing her, so that she could see him.

Bobby felt the phlegm in his throat lurch as he realized where people were running to

"Tara!" he shouted and ran to her room. Jack and Sue weren't far behind.

Once he got there he did not like what he saw, "What happened here?"

Tara was out of bed, the single window in her room was shattered, a large but slender dart like object was on the ground next to Tara's sprawled body.

"Tara! Are you okay?" Bobby quickly went over to her and helped her up.

She stood up and leaned against Bobby clutching her broken rib "I was coming back from the bathroom and all of a sudden something came hurdling through the window. I dropped to the floor to try and get out of the way of all of the flying glass."

Jack and Sue got there just in time to her what had happened. Jack noticed the thing that caused all of the chaos and went to examine it.

"There's a piece of paper wrapped around it," He proceeded to unwrap the narrow part of the dart and read the message that it contained, "To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead. unknown"

There was a few moments silence before Tara spoke, "Is that supposed to be some kind of threat?"

"I think we should take it as that," Jack responded.

"You don't think they're already out for revenge do you Jack?" Bobby asked, the concern growing in his voice.

Jack knew exactly what was going through his mind, "I don't know, but they couldn't have already found out. It hasn't even been a day yet, and besides why would they be warning Tara about love and fearing life?"

Sue caught onto what they were talking about, "You think this has something to do with the case?"

"What!" Tara exclaimed. She was suddenly very scared, the men they were after were very dangerous and showed no mercy, "But if they were really after me I'd be dead already wouldn't I?"

Bobby shuddered at the thought, "She's right you know. These type of guys would kill her off the second they found out."

Tara gulped. She had been the target of revenge before and hated the feeling of paranoia that came with it. They only knew the names of the drug dealer's. They had yet to figure out where they were located and how they ran their business.

"Tara, I want you in a safe house." Jack had made his decision. Things were too coincidental for him to not play it safe. He didn't want any of his team mates hurt during this case.

"But,"

"No, buts Tara," this time it was Bobby who spoke. He knew that being in a safe house was no fun, but he didn't want Tara to get hurt. "I'll even take the first round of guard duty, if it makes you feel better. We'll have a blast, I'm sure." He flashed his gorgeos dimples at her causing her to blush.

"Fine," how could she refuse an offer like that?

Jack took proceeded to take out his cell, "I'll call D and the others. You gave us all quite a scare Tara, and we need you safe to keep all of our minds at ease, not just Bobby's. You're an important member to this team, and we don't want anything to happen to you."

"Well, gosh, Jack, I don't what to say." She stood in awe for a second before she asked, "Can I at least go home and get some clothes, and my lab top? I mean," she looked down at the clothes she was wearing, which were ripped and splattered in blood, "I really need to get out of these clothes!"

The way she said was just so Tara, Bobby thought, "Sure, since you don't have a car right now, I'll drive you to your place before we go back to the bureau and find out where they're stashing you."

"Okay, then." Jack wanted to get down to the bottom of this, and just standing around a hospital room was getting them nowhere fast. "Sue, lets go, D wants us back. Tara, I'm going to get you released now and you and Bobby can go, but do try and hurry, we don't know what's going on and every minute you're out there, they could be planning their next move,"

"Hey, don't worry Sparky," Bobby interrupted, "I'm not letting this little sheila out of my sight." He finished his comment by winking at Tara making her turn a deep shade of red.

Jack noticed the interaction between the two and wondered what was going on. He didn't know that there might be another wanna be office couple in the midst, but he didn't want to think about that right now, there was too much else to do, "Good, we'll see you in a bit."


End file.
